FTSE gains on company updates, Barclays jumps

* FTSE 100 index rises 0.4 percent

* Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) gains on bold revival plan

* BT advances after strong full-year results

* Analysts say index could retest 6,865

By Tricia Wright

LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Britain's top shares rose on

Thursday following encouraging company updates, with BT

surging after strong results and Barclays bank up on a

revival plan, as charts indicated the FTSE 100 could reach late

February highs.

Barclays climbed 4.6 percent, the top percentage gainer on

the index, after saying it will cut 19,000 jobs in the

next three years and set up a "bad bank". It led

the UK banking index up 1 percent.

"Barclays' significant restructuring to simplify the group

is welcomed by investors as an effort to transform the bank

...even if it means the flagship investment banking division,

which has driven things for so long, needs scaling back," Mike

van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said.

BT Group (LSE: BT-A.L - news) rose 3.2 percent as strong demand for fibre

broadband and television helped the telecom company report its

first growth in consumer revenues in a decade.

At 1033 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 30.11 points, or 0.4

percent, at 6,826.55 points.

Barclays Capital analyst Lynnden Branigan said that a close

above 6,838, the intraday high on May 2, could pave the way for

the index to retest its late February closing high of 6,865.

The broader market also got support from dovish comments

from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Wednesday and

data on Thursday showing China's exports and imports returned to

slight growth in April, beating forecasts and offering some

positive signals for the economy.

Miners reacted positively as China is the world's biggest

consumer of metals. The UK mining index was up 0.3

percent, while Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) rose 1.3 percent.

Gains in the broader market were capped by sharp declines by

some shares. Sage Group (LSE: SGE.L - news) fell 5.5 percent as its Chief

Executive Guy Berruyer said he would step down and its results

disappointed some investors.

Investors were awaiting the outcome of a Bank of England

policy meeting. The central bank looks set to hold rates at a

record low despite signs that the recovery is picking up more

speed and that house prices are surging.

(Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by John

Stonestreet)